A section of St. Catherine prison deemed unsafe, inmates removed

Jamaica’s prison authorities are facing a crisis, with 150 cells at the more than 300 year old St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre having to be abandoned because they are now considered unsafe.

The Correctional Services Department has confirmed that significant cracks have appeared in the walls of the Newhall block, prompting the evacuation of inmates.

So far the top two floors have been cleared of prisoners and the ground floor is in the process of being evacuated.

This was disclosed by Superintendent Rueben Kelly who is in charge of the prison.

“The engineers came and deemed it unsafe,” told RJR News.

He said it was not likely that the building would be abandoned.  Efforts will be made to “shore it up” before returning the prisoners to the abandoned cells, he added.

The Newhall Block housed approximately 380 inmates.  

In a bid to ease overcrowding, Superintendent Kelly said prisoners serving sentences of a year or less are being transferred to Tamarind Farm Prison, also located in St. Catherine. For those remaining at St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, single cells will now house up to three inmates in the section that is still considered safe.

The correctional facility, known for centuries as the St. Catherine District Prison, was constructed by the British in 1665 to house slaves.